OVERVIEW
Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs, including the kidneys, spine, and brain. TB is known for its ability to remain dormant in the body for long periods, leading to two distinct forms of the disease: latent TB and active TB.
What is Tuberculosis (TB)?
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that can cause infection in your lungs or other tissues. It commonly affects your lungs, but it can also affect other organs like your spine, brain or kidneys. The word tuberculosis comes from a Latin word for nodule or something that sticks out. Tuberculosis is also known as TB. Not everyone who becomes infected with TB gets sick, but if you do get sick you need to be treated. If you’re infected with the bacterium, but don’t have symptoms, you have inactive tuberculosis or latent tuberculosis infection (also called latent TB). It may seem like TB has gone away, but it’s dormant (sleeping) inside your body. If you’re infected, develop symptoms and are contagious, you have active tuberculosis or tuberculosis disease (TB disease).
The three stages of TB are:
- Primary infection.
- Latent TB infection.
- Active TB disease.
Types of TB
- Latent TB: This form occurs when the TB bacteria are present in the body but inactive. People with latent TB do not show symptoms, are not contagious, and may never develop active TB. However, latent TB can become active if the immune system weakens.
- Active TB: In this form, the bacteria multiply and cause symptoms. Active TB is contagious, and the infected person can spread the disease to others.
Symptoms
Risk Factors
Causes of TB
TB is transmitted from one person to another through the air. When someone who has active TB coughs, sneezes, or talks, they release tiny droplets containing the bacteria into the air. People nearby may inhale these droplets and become infected. Not everyone who inhales the bacteria becomes sick; those with a healthy immune system can often contain the infection.